Independently-mounted vehicle wheel



Patented May 27, 1930 means EATENT GFFICE ANTHONY BIZZARIQLI, or'ivnwroan; N. Y.

INDEPENDENTLY-MOUNTED VEHICLE WHEEL Application filed September 2, 1927.Serial No. 217,225.

My present invention relates to vehicle wheels, particularly, but notnecessarily, such as are adapted for use with automobiles and likevehicles, and especially, but not necessarily, the driving wheels ofsuch vehicles,

and aims to devise vehicle wheels of the general character specifiedwhich are so constructed and mounted as to permit the independentmovement of the wheels under the driving stresses and in response toirregularities and unevennesses of the road bed over which the vehicleis driven, in this way to pre vent the disadvantages which are inherentin the usual types of vehicle wheels in which the wheels are not soconstructed and mounted as to accommodate independently of each otherfor the driving stresses and the irregularities of the road bed.- In theform which is being here shown and described for purposes ofillustration only, the vehicle wheels,

the driving wheels, are shown so connected to the propellershaftsections and the latter are shown so connected to the differential,to permit each of the wheels to respond independently to the drivingstresses and irregularities of the road bed without necessarilyaffecting the other wheels. This independent accommodation of the wheelstothe irregularities of the road bed 59 is accomplished without in anyway interfering with the driving action or in any way reducing itseliiciency. Other objects and advantages of the devices of the presentinvention will in part be pointed out in detail hereiuafter and will inpart be obvious to those skilled in the art to which the presentinvention relates.

In the accompanying specification I shall describe, and in the annexeddrawing show, an illustrative embodiment of the present invention. Itis, however, to be clearly understood that my invention is not limitedto the specific embodiment thereof herein shown W and described forpurposes of illustration only.

Referring to the drawing, wherein I have shown the aforesaidillustrative embodiment of the present invention: I Fig. 1 is a rearelevation of an automobile particularly or like vehicle, the drivingwheels of which embody the principles of the present intention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side view,.on an enlarged scale, of one of thevehicle wheels and associated parts;

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view, partly broken away, also shown on anenlarged scale, taken along the line 33 of Fig. 2 of the drawing, andshowing one of the vehicle wheels, the suspension for the same and theassociated universal joint;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of one member of one of the universal joints;and

Fig. 5 is an end view of themember of one of the universal joints shownin Fig. 4 of the drawing. 7 7

Referring now to the aforesaid illustrative embodiment of the presentinvention, and more partcularly to the drawing illustrating the same, 10indicates the upper and 7G 11 the lower member of a portion of theframework of the suspension. The member 10 has the ends 12 and 13 towhich are rigidly and securely attached the suspension cylinders 14 and15, respectively. The member 11 has the ends 16 and 17 to which arelikewise attached the other ends of the suspension cylinders 14: and 15,respectively. I prefer that the cylinders 14 and 15 shall at all timesremain substantially vertical and parallel and shall be in fixedrelation to each other and to the supporting and spacing members 10 and11. I prefer, also, that the mem bers 10. 11, and 14:, 15 shall form asubstantially rigid and relatively inflexible rectangle for the properoperation and support of the remaining parts of the device.

At 20 I have indicated a differential or equivalent driving mechanism.It is clear that where the vehicle, for example, is electrically driven,another type of driving mechanism may be employed. It is further to beunderstood that the power unit forms no part of the present inventionandalso that each. of the wheels may be independently driven, if 99 sodesired.

The differential 20, which, in the present case, is of the usual orordinary type of construction, is carried by the portion 21.constituting an extension of the differential housing amy being rigidlyattached at the ends and 23 to the members 10 and 11, respectively, ofthe framework of the suspension. At 24- and 25 I have indicatedadditional supports for the differential 20, these supportshavin iz'their ends and 25, 25,

universal joints generally designated by reference characters and3l,respectively. It

may here he stated that 32 indicates thedrivi-ng shaft leadin from thegas engine or other priniary source of power. I v

lVhile the universals 80 and 31 may he of any desired or s atableconstruction, I prefer that the saine shall be constructed asshown in Vthe drawing, particularly in Figs 3, i and 5 1 the u'nivers the drawing,Where one of the universal joints is illustrated on an enlarged scale inde tail; As there in smreaes ZlllClgti: indicate the pair of forli'swhich held between them and a e received by'the rubber, steel or otherbea member or ball 85 provided with the rectangular grooves 35 .anc 35",those grooves being subs antially at right angles to each other andreceiving the forked ends of the respective forks 33 and 84. Oneal theforks is rigidly attached to either the dif ferential stub shaft or withone of the jack shaft-s shortly to he described Whilethe other fork isrigidly attachedto or'forms a part either of the wheel spindle or rthej'acl-r shaft as the case may s, all will be 'r' adily -ap, parent tothose skilled in the art to Which the prese'nt'inventien relates, 30indicates a dust cap for the difierential. I

t0 and l'indicate the jack shafts which are preferably spline d, asindicated 40 and i1, respectively to compensate for the vary.- inglength between the respective pairs, of i 'i 1. joints. The jaclr shafts40 and 41 terminate, at their inner ends, in the uni versal joints 28and 29; already described; At their outer ends the jack shafts terminatein the universal joints ll and @3, respectively,

*ferahly-constructed in the same manner as the universal join; 30 and 31already described. V i i The fork of each of. the uiiii ersaljoints 42and 4-Salready described forms a part of or "s rigidly attached to aportiondt of the driving spindle Each driving spindle 45 isprovided Withthe tapered sieeveie which is ield tightly in the correspondinglytapered aperture 27 in the piston l8 which is adapted to haveupside-downmovement within ston cylinder l i or L3, as the case may be.The. piston cylimlersv l4 mic pistons 48 contained therein constitute an15 and the v suspensions for the Wheels, these suspensions being no partof the present invention, but being more fully described and being fullyclaimed in my copending application filed of even date herewith andentitled Vehicle bodies. It niayhere be stated that in place of the airsuspension shown in the drawing, any other suitable type of suspensionmay be employed, such as the Well-known spring orother suspensions. I

At its inner end each of the sleeves is carries the cu 'asha'pe'd'ineinber 46, the outer face of which is threaded and thethreaded portion of which receives the dust cap 49. At- 50 I haveindicated a ball'bearing, preferof the radial type. The innerraee'51f'of the ball hearing, 50 i's securely and [snugly fitted ontothe spindle shaft 45, While the outer race ,52'ha'sf a running lit inthe cup- Atits other end the sleeve 46 securely or snugly carriestlieinne rrace' 53' of'a' ball bear- "rigs-6c, also preferably of theradial type, the outer race 55 of such ball bearing having arunning itin the hub 5G. of the wheel 57. The hub or cap 56 preferablycomprises-the .in'ner dang-e58 against which the inner face or otherlocking niechanisin 62 of any desired construction and preferablyvcomprising a plurality of keys at right angles, as will readily occur tothose skilled in the art to .vh-ich the present invention relates.

Any desired form of heel maybe utilized, whether of pneumatic, solid orany. other type. It may here be stated that t-heparticular form of wheelhereinshown, Whileforrningno part of the present inven'ition,- is morefully described and is fully claimed in a copending application of mine,Serial No. 146,394, filed November 5, 1926, andentitled Wheels. v v, I

This completes the description of the afore} said illustrativeembodiment of the present invention. The constructionofsuche'nibodinien't will; it is bell red. be clear from the foregoingdescription. Likewise the inanner of constructing and assembling saideinbodil nent will be clear from the fore going description. Inoperation; it iniportant to note that While the sleeve 45 is held tigh yby and in fact rigid with the piston 48 and even be b'raz e'd er" other-4 Wise rigidly secured thereto, the spindles' ifi rotate freelyandWithout ric tidiiju i'tli'in the Cal ends,

, vehicle is intended to carry and to compensate, also, for theoscillations of the wheel due to variations in the road bed. Under theseconditions the suspension is so adjusted as to maintain, within feasiblelimits, a substantially rectilinear alignment of thejack shafts 4:0 andll, the wheels 57 and 57, being slightly inclined towards the center ofgravity of the vehicle.

Assuming now that,'st1ll with a substantially level road bed, thevehicle is to make a turn either to the right or to the left, theoperation under these conditionswill be substantially the same as forthe usual type of differential transmission, as is also true where thevehicle is traveling in a substantially rectilinear line over aflat roadbed;

Assuming now that one of the Wheels, as the wheel 5'7, strikes anobstruction or elevation in the road bed. By the provision of theuniversals 28 and 42 andthe mounting for the wheel, this wheel, withoutunnecessary shock and without placing too much strain on the suspensionand on the transmission, will accommodate itself readily to theirregularity of the road bed independently of the other wheels. In otherwords, the introduction of the universals 28 and 42 into the structureof the jack shaft will cause the jack shaft and the universal toaccommodate themselves to the stresses to which the wheel is subjectedby the irregularities in the road bed. This is done without interferingwith the normal operation and relations of the parts involving the wheel57 and its particular jack shaft and the other wheels and theirparticular jack shafts. It may here be stated that the jack shaftsoperate in the same plane, which is substantially a vertical plane.

The operation of the device as described above for an obstruction orelevation in the road bed, is substantially the same, except that thedirection of the movement of the parts is reversed with respect to thesuspension, where the wheel strikes a depression in the road bed. Thesame operation, of course, applies to the other wheels.

It'may here be stated that either two or all four of the wheels of toovehicle maybe constructed as above shown and described. In other words,one or more units or pairs of wheels, constructed as shown in thedrawing, may be embodied in the vehicle, any number of pairs beingemployed, as desired.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a vehicle, a suspension piston, a

sleeve having a tapered channel therein, a wheel spindle having atapered intermediate portion passing transversely through said taperedchannel, and a ball bearing race mounted on the outer end of saidspindle. I

2. In a vehicle,.a suspension piston, sleeve having a tapered channeltherein, a wheel spindle having a tapered intermediate portion passingtransversely through said tapered channel, a universal joint mounted onthe inner end of said spindle, and a ball bearing race mounted on theouter end of said spindle.

3. In a vehicle, driving means comprising a differential provided with aplurality ofop positely disposed stub shafts, a plurality of cooperatingsplined jack shafts, a. universal joint. interposed between each stubshaft and its cooperating jack shaft, a plurality of cooperating wheelspindles, and a universal joint interposed between each jack shaft andits cooperating wheel spindle.-

4. In a vehicle, driving means provided with a plurality of'oppositelyvdisposed stub shafts, a plurality of cooperating jack shafts, auniversal joint interposed between each stub shaft and its cooperatingack shaft, a plurality of cooperating wheel spindles, a piston supportedby a cylinder (as a guide) which in turn supports a spindle, attached toone end of which is a universal joint, whose other stub end is connectedto splined jack shaft.

5. In a vehicle, driving means comprising a differential provided with aplurality. of oppositely disposed stub shafts, a plurality ofcooperating splined jack shafts, a universal joint interposed betweeneach stub shaft and its cooperating jack shaft, a plurality ofcooperating wheel spindles, a piston supported by a cylinder .(as aguide) which in turn supports a spindle, attached to one end of which auniversal joint, whose other stub end is connected to splined jackshaft.

6. In a vehicle, a relatively rigid suspension frame, driving meanssubstantially r1g1dly mounted in said frame, a plurality of suspensioncylinders substantially rigidly carried by said frame, a plurality ofoppositely disposed stub shafts associated with and 0perable by saiddriving means, a plurality of cooperating jack shafts, a universaljointinterposed between each stub shaft and its cooperating jack shaft,a plurality ofcooperating wheelspindles, and a universal jointinterposed. between each jack shaftand its cooperating wheel spindle. Vv

7. In a vehicle, a relatively rigid suspension frame, driving meanscomprising a difierential substantially rigidly mounted in said frame, aplurality of suspension cylinders substantially rigidly carried by saidframe, a plurality of oppositely disposed stub shafts associated withand operable by said driving means, a plurality of cooperating splinedjack shafts, a universal oint interposed between m frame, drivingmeanssubstantially rig idly mou'ntedln sald frame, a plurality of suspensioncylinders substantially dly carried by said frame, a plurality ofoppositely disposed" stub shafts associated with and operable by saiddrivin means, a plur'ality of cooperating jack shafts, a universal jointinterposed'between eachstub shaft and its c'eo 'erati ng jack shaft, aplurality of cooperating wheel'spindl'es, a piston supported by acylinder (as a guide), which in turn supports a spindle, attached to oneend of which isa universal oint, whose other stub end is connected'tosplincd jack shaft, and adapted to reciprocatewithin the correspondingsuspension cylinder;

9. In a vehicle, a relatively rigid suspension frame, driving means compising a dif ferential substantially rigidly mounted in said" frame, aplurality of suspension cylinders substantially rigidly carried by saidframe, a plurality of oppositely disposed stub shafts associated withand operable by said driving means, a plurality of cooperating splinedjack shafts, a universaljoint interposed between each stub shaft and itscooperating jack shaft, a plurality of cooperating' wheel spindles, apiston supported by a cylinder a guide), which in turn supports aspindle, attached to one end of which is a universaljoint, whose otherstub end is connected to 'sp'lin'cd' jack shaf and adapted toreciprocate within the corresponding "suspension cylinder.

1O.- in a vehicle, a relatively rigid suspension frame, driving meanssubstantially rigidly mounted in said frame, a plurality of suspensioncylinders substantially rigidly carried by said frame, a pluralityofoppo- "sitely disposed stub shaft associated with and operable by saiddriving means, a plurality of cooperating jack shafts, auniversal jointinterposedbetween each stub shaft and its cooperating jack shaft, aplurality of cooperating wheel spindles each having an intermediateportion thereof tapered, a piston supported by a cylinder (as a guide),which in turn supports a spindle, attached to one end of which is auniversal oint, whose other stub end is connected to splined jack shaft,and adapted to reciprocate within the corresponding suspensioncylii'ider, a sleeve carried y each of sa'idsus'pension pistons a dprovided with an internally tapered b W ng surface for receiving thecorr spon'dingly tapered portion of the corresponding a'clr shaft.

11. In a vehicle, a relatively r-i-gid suspension frame, adriving meanssubstantially rigidly mo'ui'itedin'said frame, a plurality of suspensioncylinders substantially rigidly carried by said frame, a pluralityofoppositely disposed stub shafts associated with and operable by'saiddriving means, a plurality of cooperating jack shafts, a universal jointinterposed between each stub shaft and its cooperating jack shaft, aplurality of cooperati g wheel spindles each having an intermediateportion thereof tapered, a sleeve carried by each of said suspensionpistons and provided with an internally tapered bearing surface forreceiving the correspondingtapered portion of the corresponding ackshaft, and a universal joint interposed between each jack shaft and itscooperating wheel" spindle. V I

12. in a vehicle, a relatively rigid suspension frame, driving meanscomprising a difential substantially rigidly mounted in said frame, aplurality of suspension cylin- 's substantially rigidly carried by saidin apluralityof oppositely disposed-stub shafts associated with andoperable by said driving means; a plurality of cooperating splined jackshafts, a universal joint interposed betweeneach'stub shaft and itscooperating ack shaft,a plurality of cooperating wheel spindles eachhaving an intermediate portion thereof tapered, a piston" supported by acylinder (as a guide), which in turn end is connected to splined jackshaft, and

adapted to reciprocate within the corresponding suspension cylinder, asleeve carried by each of said suspension pistons and provided with aninternally tapered bearing surface for receiving the correspondinglytapered portion of the corresponding ack shaft.

' 13. In a vehicle, a'relatively rigid suspension frame, driving meanscomprising a differential substantially rigidly mounted in said frame, aplurality of suspension cylinders substantially rigidly carried by salt.frame, a plurality of oppositely disposed stub shafts associated withand operable by said driving means, a plurality of cooperating splinedjack shafts, a universal joint interposed between each stub shaft andits cooperating jack shaft, a plurality of cooperating wheel spindleseach having an interme diate portion thereof tapered, a sleeve can I asried by each of said suspension pistons and 7 provided with aninternally tapered bearing surface for receiving the correspondinglytapered portion of the corresponding jack name to this specificationthis 9th day of August, 1927'.

ANTHQNY BIZZARRL'

